Q. Is there any help for dry, chapped and peeling lips? I use lip balm constantly, but it only helps for a little while. I think I am addicted to this stuff. I’ve got tubes in the car, in my coat pockets, in my desk and all over the house. I just can’t go very long without applying it. This drives me nuts.
A. A controversy has been raging for years about whether lip moisturizers like ChapStick, Blistex or Carmex are addicting. There is even a Web site called Lip Balm Anonymous that warns people about this issue.
The manufacturers of lip balms maintain that this is an urban legend not worthy of consideration. They insist that their moisturizers are effective, which is why folks with chapped lips use them repeatedly.
Some dermatologists say that any such “addiction��? is purely psychological and that people use lip balm because it makes lips feel better. Others suggest that some ingredients may thin the lips, cause peeling or lead people to lick their lips. Repeated licking triggers dryness.
Anything that discourages lip licking is likely to be helpful. One reader suggested castor oil because she hated the taste. Others might find products with lanolin, coconut oil or beeswax beneficial.
Q. I recently read an article about how contraceptives diminish sexual desire. Does hormone replacement therapy do the same thing for menopausal women?
A. We checked with Irwin Goldstein, M.D., who helped write the study on oral contraceptives in the Journal of Sexual Medicine (Jan. 2006). According to Dr. Goldstein, many hormone replacement therapies (HRT) contain estradiol. Estradiol boosts levels of sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG). Then the SHBG attaches to testosterone and makes it less available.
Testosterone is important for sexual interest. As a result, HRT might have the same long-term effects on libido as birth control pills.
Q. I have suffered from chronic constipation most of my adult life, despite an excellent diet and adequate exercise. I recently discovered that my thyroid might have been responsible.
After I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism and prescribed Levoxyl, my metabolism sure seemed to perk up. I went from constantly constipated to relatively regular. I suggest that anyone with chronic constipation be checked for thyroid problems.
A. Constipation is one of many symptoms associated with a sluggish thyroid gland. Other clues include fatigue, high cholesterol, hair loss, dry skin, brittle nails and sensitivity to cold.
Constipation may have other causes, of course. Many prescription medications, for example, can make regularity difficult regardless of diet.
We are sending you our Guides to Thyroid Hormones and Constipation with many more details on diagnosis and treatment and our ten tips to combating constipation. Anyone who would like copies, please send $3 in check or money order with a long (no. 10) stamped (63 cents), self-addressed envelope: Graedons’ The People’s Pharmacy®, No. TG-43, P. O. Box 52027, Durham, NC 27717-2027.
Q. I don’t understand OTC dosing for Aleve or ibuprofen. My wife weighs just over 100 lbs. I weigh about 200, but the recommended adult dose is the same. Why isn’t it based on our respective weights?
A. Dosing by weight would be more rational, but more complicated. The FDA and the manufacturers chose simplicity over specificity. They assume one dose fits all, but that is not always true.
The People's Perspective on Medicine